While spring is reminding us that hard times don't last forever, we are still spending most of our time in physical isolation. Since many of our social activities have been suspended we have more time to spend on creative activities. Some members are working on our guild challenge, some are working on study group projects and some are just playing around.
Last year the guild bought the equipment and materials of a former member. She had been an active member of the group, who served in the guild in many roles including president. The guild challenged members to make something from the materials in her stash as a way of remembering her. Below are a few of the items.
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| Evelyn's Baby Blanket |
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| Pat's mixed yarn scarf |
A new grandchild was the inspiration for this baby blanket. The warp is soft cotton in beige and green that came from the above mentioned stash. The weft is a mix of nylon and acrylic yarns in pink, light brown and green. The pattern is a point twill. This is Evelyn's second project on her Fanny loom.
The stash had an abundance of different natural and synthetic yarns. Pat M created this textured scarf with subtle stripes out of a mixture of synthetic yarns. You will also find a trace of mohair in the mix. Blending miscellaneous yarns can be a challenge but a lot of fun when you "get it right".
The following is a tale of caution when you are tempted to pick up that unknown cone of yarn even though it is a bargain. Many of the yarns in "the stash" were unlabelled. Pat C was looking for some wool in brown shades to make yardage for a man's vest. She wanted something that would felt to create a firm thick cloth. The dark brown yarn with flecks of a orange/brown mix was the perfect colour. Below is the sample she wove and attempted to felt. That effort resulted in a hairy, scratchy cloth that simply would not felt in spite of all those hairy bits that fulling seemed to multiply. The sample would have made a great scrubber but certainly not a vest. So, if your yarn is a mystery then sample before you invest your time.
Sandra fell in love with a snowflake twill pattern. She set up her (new to her) Gertrude loom and began to explore the possibilities of a draft from Thrums. Some set backs and some victories later she decided to use her investment in time and effort to weave a series of scarves by tying on warp after warp. A classic example of one weave leads to another. She knows the treadling by heart now. The scarves are mixes of tencil or bamboo rayon and silk. When we last heard from her she had yet another idea and had tied on yet another warp to make a scarf for herself. So who will get the beauties pictured here?
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| snowflake scarf with border |
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| Lynnette's scarf |
The Exploring More study group is still working through double weave. Deflected double weave has turned out to be more interesting and varied that first thought with some of the group trying multiple approaches.
For more information on Lynnette's scarf check out
Dust Bunnies
Mary took a different approach and wove samples of deflected double weave in the guild colours
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| Mary's sample front |
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| Mary's sample back |
That's all for now. Next time we'll share some tips and tricks.
